Page 26 of Captive Beta

11

Jorge

We were lucky that the Hearts only sent two drivers and four more guards to transport the kids to the next location, expecting that Luca and the other three guards would share in the rest of the work. And, probably, the fewer people involved in these kinds of things, the better.

Because of the element of surprise, Vera, Caleb and Miles were able to take all the bastards out without too much of a hassle.

At which point the people I asked to help us arrived. They’re a security company that a couple of my clients sometimes use and I’ve built some report with them over the years. They were the only people I could think of at such short notice who would likely be nearby enough to be of any help and have the required skills.

We no longer needed their immediate protection, but it felt good to have them here, in case the Hearts sent more people. Either because they realised something was wrong or because of other reasons we might not be aware of.

The security team were able to get Luca and the kids out of the building without them seeing too much of the carnage in the room. We didn’t want to traumatise them more than they already were.

I have no idea how long these kids have been with the Hearts, where they came from or where they were going, but they’re safe now. They’re going to be okay. And that’s the thing that matters the most.

We found blankets in the vans that were supposed to bring the kids to their next destination. So we grabbed those and then made the kids comfortable in the cars that the security team arrived in. We didn’t want to put them into the Hearts vans, that didn’t feel right, but we also didn’t want them to wander around outside.

When Eli and the people from Mathew’s organisation who hadn’t joined in tonight’s mission arrived, things were starting to settle down.

Vera managed to clean herself up somewhat, so she’s less bloody now, but she’s still wearing my shirt. Her dress is in a pile in the middle of the room, as bloody as the floor around it. I don’t think she’ll be wearing that any time soon, if at all.

She looked so cute at the start of the evening. Now, not so much.

Actually, she still looks cute. But more like a feral rabbit covered in smears of blood. Cute, but clearly dangerous.

Eli brought along snacks and drinks for the kids, since we have no idea when they last had anything to eat or drink. And he also brought along more soft blankets for them, so they would be able to get as comfortable as possible in this otherwise very stressful situation.

I’m so glad that he decided to come too, as I have no idea how to deal with so many young kids and he seems to know exactly what to do. He’s now looking after them together with Luca.

Luca…

The Beta man is around Vera, Mathew and my age, in his mid to late twenties, skinny and full of fear. His caramel pheromones have a bitter note to them, a sign of trauma and long-term distress.

I have no idea how long he’s been under the Hearts’ control, but he clearly wasn’t there because he wanted to be. What happened that a man as soft and considerate as Luca ended up in a situation where he’s being ordered around by an organisation as vile as the Hearts?

Fuck.

Vera is leaning against the hood of a car, her eyes not leaving Luca. She so clearly wants to hold him, and the feeling seems to be mutual if I go by the glances he keeps shooting in her direction, but he’s also terrified of her.

“Jorge?!” Mathew’s distressed voice suddenly sounds in my ear and I jump. I’d totally forgotten I was wearing an earpiece.

“Fucking hell. I didn’t need another scare tonight.” I take deep breaths, trying to get my heart rate to go back down.

“What’s going on there? Is everyone safe? Is everyone okay?” His words are fast and full of worry.

“We’re all okay. Vera snuck off because she found something interesting. But we found her again.”

“She snuck off?!” Mathew’s voice rises even higher.

The next moment, Vera jumps, frowning as she puts her hand to one of her ears, and then she laughs as she comes over to me. Caleb gave her an earpiece too, for easier communication until we’re all back home, and Mathew is all too happy to make use of it.

“Please don’t scare Mathew. Everything is fine and everyone is safe.” She leans against me, smiling, her voice light. “How did your mission go?”

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and keep her against me, anxiety shooting through my body. I was so focused on everything that was going on here that I didn’t have the time or energy to worry about Mathew and Riley. I guess there’s no better way to get your mind off bad things than to get into a stressful situation yourself…

“It didn’t go according to plan, but we’re also good.” Mathew lets out a humourless laugh. “Our feelings were right, there was something fishy going on with this place. I don’t think that Allen was aware of it, but the Hearts are definitely involved in this biotech research company. And not in a fun way.”

“What did you find out?” A lump forms in my throat.

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